Hindu Council in UK plans to challenge ban on yoga classes

LONDON: A leading Hindu organisation in Britain is planning to challenge the ban on yoga classes imposed by two churches on the ground that it breaches the country's Equality Act 2006.

Last week, priests at the Silver Street Baptist Church and St James' Church of England in Taunton, Somerset, had banned yoga classes for children by branding it as a "sham" and "un-Christian".

Now, the Hindu Council of UK (HCUK) is actively considering challenging the ban.

Lawyers of the organisation are exploring whether the comments by the churches indicate that the priests acted contrary to Britain's 'Religion and Belief' section of the Equality Act 2006.

The Act makes it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief in the provision of goods, facilities and services, the management of premises, education and exercise of public functions.

HCUK is also considering asking the Commission for Equality and Human Rights to investigate whether the comments by the priests amounted to "instructing or causing discrimination", HCUK General Secretary Anil Bhanot said.

"These priests might appear to be advising Christians not to practice yoga because they believe it is based on a 'sham' and a 'false philosophy', but what in effect they mean is that Hinduism is a false religion," Bhanot said in a statement.

Louise Woodcock, 41, who was looking for a new home for her Yum Yum Yoga class for toddlers was turned away by the churches.

She was originally given permission to use the Baptist Church hall for a children's activity group, but the priest, the Reverend Simon Farrar, withdrew his consent after discovering it was for yoga.

Later, St James's church also barred her for the same reason.

Withdrawing his consent, Farrar had said, "If it was just a group of children singing nursery rhymes, there wouldn't be a problem but she's called it yoga and therefore there is a dividing line we're not prepared to cross."

HCUK spokesperson on Yoga Amarjeet-Singh Bhamra said he found it "very disappointing that such medieval-like irrational prejudice is still allowed to flourish in the Christian Church in 21st Century multicultural Britain".

"Yoga is one of the oldest known medical systems enshrined in the Atharva Veda, the most ancient Hindu book on wisdom, and it is now at the forefront of holistic and integrated medicine in the West," Bhamra said.

He said Hinduism was "the source" of many different theologies, philosophies and sciences.